Sayomi had sent a very very nicely written letter to Sadako, inviting her for tea in the banquet hall. It had had lots of formalities and all that in its contents, but at the core of the message was "you might want to relax with a cup of tea at the end of the day".

So one of the finer teas she had on hand was made, and some light snacks were on hand. She waited.

At the appointed hour, a Miharu strides into the room and steps to the side of the door.

Sadako follows, moving ahead.

Another Miharu enters behind her and takes up a post on the other side of the door.

They are not the only ones in the room, of course.

But Sadako smiles and nods a bow to the Kitsu as she approaches and takes a seat. The sheaf of papers in her hand is set to the side, and the Lady Seppun says "It is a pleasure to see you again, Kitsu-san. I hope you will forgive me that I eat; the day has been long. Or did you care to eat, as well?"

A servant nervously awaits the ladies' pleasure.

"Seppun-sama," she bowed deeply, with great respect, to the daimyo. "I'm honored that you accepted my invitation, and I'd be honored to share my meal with you as well."

She had been prepared to have a late meal herself, and it was awkward to watch someone else eat!

"I hope Seppun Tomaru-sama is well after yesterday's... uhm... events?" Sayomi had been a bit worried about him carrying all that water.

Sadako gestures, and the servant heads off at just short of a dead run to fetch food and drink.

"Kanehime-san is well," she says while they wait. "He has been working on his conditioning of late, and it seems to have shown well. I have to think his wife will be pleased when she sees him next.

"Oh, do not have such a face at that! He is older, yes, but far from infirm. He would not have remained in his position so long were he so. And it is not for nothing that he has so large a family."

"Oh, I didn't mean to- I mean," she inhaled sharply, worried how her concern had perhaps been a bit insulting to the older man. "I was mostly concerned about how he felt about it all. But I suppose one becomes stronger in character too with age, and don't feel such insults so keenly anymore."

Sayomi smiled a little awkwardly. "I just felt it was inappropriate behavior what happened."

"... He is a very inspirational person."

"I confess to some fondness for him, myself," Sadako says. "He oversaw some of my early service, before my accession. So I am familiar with some of his insistence on education, having been the beneficiary of it.

"But that is as far as it goes," she adds. "His position with me at court is that he should always have expected to have, no less, no more. If the Heavens make something else known with regard to him, then they do, and I will rejoice. But if they do not, then I will still rejoice in the service of so good a vassal."

Food and drink arrive for the pair, and service is laid out.

That Seppun Sadako spoke so highly of him spoke much of his character, Sayomi felt.

"If it was up to me, I believe he would be the right one, but I'm just one simple person at the end of the day," she offered humbly. "But, forgive me for breaching such a boring topic, Seppun-sama, but I wanted to ask... is there anything I, or the Lion Clan, can do for you and the Seppun? I know the Imperial families don't trade as the clans do, but that doesn't mean there aren't any options for us to work closer together somehow."

"The Right Hand does much for the Empire already, Kitsu-san," Sadako replies. "Hosting us here, providing security and an example to follow--all of these are things worth doing."

"We do what anyone else would have done in our position," she demured politely as she helped herself to some of the food. "But I was wondering more if there are any specific agendas or goals we can be of assistance with."

"My Family has but one goal," Sadako replies, "which has not changed since the First Seppun swore to the First Hantei."

Sadako eats of her noodles.

When she clears her mouth, she adds "I imagine the Miya are similarly devoted, but I have not conferred about it with the Lord Miya."

Sayomi ate her noodles and waited to speak until her mouth was no longer occupied with food.

"The dedication of the Seppun has always been inspirational for us all. But I'm surprised you have nothing to try and achieve this winter. I imagined you'd have plans of connecting with the other clans through deals and the like... though I know I am still new to this, so it must've been my inexperience getting the better of me."

She offered a kind smile. "But as long as you have time to eat at least, that's good. Let's hope Lord Miya is equally blessed."

"In another winter," Sadako replies, "that might have been the case. As you might imagine, however, current circumstances have stretched the Family's representation here."

She takes another mouthful, clears it.

"We can only move ahead with what we have."

"This winter is truly testing us all, I think. Some in harder ways than others," she offered with sympathies. "Seppun-sama seem to be enduring more than most."

A small break for food.

"Also... I don't think I've had a chance to properly thank you for your kindness to me the first day we met. Truly, I overstepped my position then, and you were lenient and kind to me despite of it."

"Think nothing of it, Kitsu-san," Sadako says. "I have been shown kindnesses, so it is only fitting that I show them, in turn."

"I wasn't aware I had shown kindness to you then," she remarked with a good-natured smile, her voice relaxed now as if they were more like friends chatting over food than two samurai of greatly unequal status.

"Apart from being overly enthusiastic to be helpful. Which I'm told I often am."

Sadako smiles slightly.

"There are worse enthusiasms, to be sure," she says. "One could be enthusiastic about being unhelpful, after all, and we have seen some of that in recent days, haven't we?"

"I suppose we have..." she agreed, but didn't want to name any names. "I just think that, with no one on the throne to guide the Empire, we all have to do our best to make sure all the clans and the folks get things going smoothly. Kind of as our last service to our dearly departed Empress, rest her soul."

"It would look bad on all of us, I think, if everything falls apart just because there is no Hantei on the throne."

"Oh, there is a Hantei," Sadako replies. "We are just not given to see them yet."

Well, on the throne...

"Technically many Hantei, no?" she teased with good humor. "Or potential Hantei. Just not *the one* yet, you know."

"Would you care for a refill?" Sadako asks. Her own cup seems to have sprouted more tea.